Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew R. Sloboda, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

EngineeringAbstractEngineering students are often given quantitative problems as homework. Problem solvingprovides students opportunities to retrieve knowledge, apply and adjust conceptualunderstanding, and build analytical skills. Because increased motivation has been shown toproduce better learning outcomes [1] - [3], it makes sense to tailor problems to motivate students.Intuitively, adding contextual elements, such as background information, narrative, images, andlocal references, to problems may be one way of motivating students, but investigation in thisarea has been limited [8] - [10]. Therefore, this study surveyed students to gauge theirperceptions of fundamentally identical problems presented either with or without significantcontextual elements. The primary

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amir Hedayati Mehdiabadi, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Rebecca A. Atadero, Colorado State University; Daniel W. Baker Ph.D., P.E., Colorado State University; Anne Marie Aramati Casper, Colorado State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

and challenge exclusionary thoughts andpractices” (p. 46). In their study on the effects of problem-oriented educational strategies onincreasing the student diversity among community college students, Noravian and Irvine (2014)found that moving from well-structured to ill-structured problem solving is beneficial to studentsand suggested the restructure of engineering education “so that students experience early in theirtraining what engineers do” (p. 294). As stated by King (2011), the low number of people ofcolor and women in engineering can be attributed to the highly quantitative focus and “the lackof evidence of social impact of engineering in the early engineering curriculum” (p. 1).In another effort, Knight et al. (2012) argued for the

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 6

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amir Danesh-Yazdi, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Yi Wu, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; Oladipo Onipede Jr., Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

) andmultiple degree-of-freedom (MDOF) systems subjected to non-zero initial displacements orvelocities (free response) and/or non-zero forces (forced response). As shown in Figure 1, eachof these categories contains subcategories that relate to a different physical response. In a typicalVibrations course, the topics shown in Figure 1 are usually supplemented by a discussion onvibration control (which is an application of the SDOF and MDOF forced response), continuoussystems and basic finite element analysis (through which continuous systems are approximatedas MDOF systems).The breadth of topics that are covered in a typical Vibrations course and the complexitiesassociated with the mathematical solution of each subcategory can often be frustrating

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ghada M. Gad, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Giuseppe Lomiento, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Yu Sun, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

1 of 14     modes, such as visual and kinesthetic, the major one of which is the convenience of learninganywhere (on the go) without requiring the cognitive load associated with image processing.Learners can benefit from audio material while still performing physical tasks at the same time,such as commute or exercise. Audio learning materials can also be made more easily available andincorporated into students' daily activities if they are accessible on a mobile phone through asoftware application (app). This also allows repetition and practice on the go.A project has been initiated in order to leverage these features and provide students with a highlyaccessible and portable audio app for

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Giancaspro P.E., University of Miami; Diana Arboleda, University of Miami

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

effective and fun classroom demonstrations(modules) to aid students in developing their conceptual understanding of moments, afundamental topic in Statics. The motivation for this effort stemmed from anecdotal evidence inthe form of student feedback and observations made during exam grading by the authors. Theevidence suggested that students deemed moments to be one of the most challenging topics inStatics. Since the concept of moment is a recurring theme found throughout the hierarchy ofmechanics courses, the authors created an active demonstration for each Statics subtopicinvolving moments. They include: 1. "At arm's length" – identify the principles of moments and moment arms using a volunteer's shoulder as a pivot point 2

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rania Al-Hammoud P.Eng., University of Waterloo; Chloe Gibson

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

videosand reflect on how they may have impacted their learning.BackgroundThe concept of supplementing student learning with course content based videos has beenpreviously explored by many [1] - [3]. Through various means the benefits they can pose, alongwith alternative methods that can be utilized to assess such benefits, have been determined[3] - [8].With students already being exposed to material through lectures, it is important to consider theways in which the videos are able to add value to the course outside of simply providing content.[1] supports the comparable nature of using video resources to in-class instruction. They explainthat using videos to model a problem and a procedure are “effective for acquiring new skills andmay enhance the

Conference Session

Assessment Strategies in Mechanics

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University; Tamara Bush, Michigan State University; Ron Averill, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

the SMART approach necessary to adopt themethod in Introduction to Dynamics and provide initial evidence that the SMART approachimproves student outcomes.BackgroundTeaching is challenging and consistently changing. Even after a professor has perfected theirdelivery and content, students with different study habits and backgrounds may requiremodifications to a faculty member’s approach. Sometimes the observations about students leadsto more effective delivery of content, like the move to active learning [1]. Sometimesobservations lead to motivating a new generation of engineers, like the push for more richexamples and contextualizing [2,3]. Sometimes observations lead to the realization that what hasworked in teaching for decades is no longer

Conference Session

Assessment Strategies in Mechanics

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Keith D. Hjelmstad, Arizona State University; Amie Baisley, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

requires two key things: (1) the definition of measurable course objectivesthat capture the fundamental concept strands—the DNA—of the course and (2) frequentassessment that incorporates the redundancy of demonstration required to confidently concludemastery. The process of developing this system had a significant impact on the nature of thecourses and informed the topical content and development of course materials. The mainmotivation for moving to a mastery-based grading system was to change the way students thinkabout and experience assessment. The frequency of assessment reduces some of the stress of thetesting environment and the redundancy promotes a spiral learning approach that helps studentsconnect the components of the problem-solving

Conference Session

Hybrid and Online Teaching of Mechanics

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Nicolas Nytko, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Matthew West, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Mariana Silva, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

, students are expected to model complicated systems using free-bodydiagrams (FBD) in mechanics courses, or create state and logic diagrams in computer sciencecourses. To best master these skills, students should be able to attempt these questions multipletimes, with a variety of different forms to ensure a breadth of knowledge in the topic. 1 It is alsoessential that students receive prompt and meaningful feedback on their submissions, so that theymay improve and learn from their mistakes. Research has confirmed the importance of buildingdrawing skills in undergraduate mechanics courses. Shryock and Haglund 2 stress that providingample practice to draw free-body diagrams helps students understand key concepts in physics andmechanics, and can clear

Conference Session

Hybrid and Online Teaching of Mechanics

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Serge Raymond Maalouf, University of Maine; Olivier Putzeys P.E., University of Maine

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

new material. In the activity sessions, students work on hands-onexperiments, computer simulations, and/or problems with support from the instructor andteaching assistant. The new aspects of this statics course are: (1) the blended format; (2) thedevelopment of novel activities for the classroom and laboratory; (3) the use of a “lightboard”, inwhich the instructor writes on a glass board while facing the video camera, to record the mini-lecture videos; (4) the flexibility for the instructor to “flip” any desired percentage of thesemester’s lectures; (5) the collections of videos and activities are available for instructors acrossmultiple campuses. Direct assessments and student surveys indicate that the blended format wasgenerally effective

Conference Session

Making Mechanics Courses Fun and More Effective

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Anuja Kamat, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Hadi Kazemiroodsari, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Leonard Anderson, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Institute. He is a certified professional constructor and licensed construction supervisor. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2020 Classroom Demonstration Module for Two and Three Dimensional Force Analysis : The Montessori Based Engineering (MBE) ModelAbstract:Statics or Engineering Mechanics 1 is a fundamental course for most engineering disciplines andincludes topics such as force systems, equilibrium, truss analysis, centroid, and moment ofinertia. Statics or Engineering Mechanics 1 is typically taught in the first semester of thesophomore year of the four-year engineering degree. It is usually observed that this is a difficultcourse for students and the passing rate is 60.7% [1]. The

Conference Session

Assessment Strategies in Mechanics

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Ning Fang, Utah State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

energy, conservation of energy, theprinciple of linear/angular impulse and momentum, and conservation of linear/angularmomentum [1], [2].Associated with these fundamental physics mechanics concepts, Engineering Dynamics includesa variety of problem-solving approaches. For instance, when applying Newton’s second law, aproblem-solving approach typically includes: establishing an appropriate coordinate system,drawing free-body and kinetic diagrams, applying Newton’s second law to set up mathematicalequations, and solving mathematical equations. Extensive research in physics education andengineering dynamics education has shown that problem solving is highly challenging for manystudents across the entire education spectrum, ranging from K-12 to

Conference Session

Teaching Statics: What and How?

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Amir H. Danesh-Yazdi, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Aimee Monique Cloutier, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Phillip Cornwell, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

fromstudents which strongly favor requiring Physics as a prerequisite, seems to support the surprisingconclusion that most students would benefit from taking Physics as a prerequisite to Statics.IntroductionAs the first engineering course that students typically encounter, Statics is an important gatewayto the rest of the curriculum as evidenced by the fact that it serves as a prerequisite for higher-level courses like Dynamics and Mechanics of Materials almost universally. However, there isfar less consistency between universities with regards to the prerequisite and corequisite coursesfor Statics itself. Table 1 provides a summary of the prerequisites and corequisites to Statics (orits equivalent) at select mechanical engineering programs around the

Conference Session

Hybrid and Online Teaching of Mechanics

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Carmen M. Muller-Karger, Florida International University ; Lili Steiner, Florida International University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

one of the main challenges for studentspursuing Mechanical or Civil Engineering Degrees at our Institution. Historically, there has beenresistance by Faculty to deliver this course online due to the idea that in face-to-face courses, theinstructor has more tools to teach the challenging concepts. With the new and emergingtechnologies, communication networks and powerful computers, the concept of distance learninghas evolved and redefined the learning process [1] .The Dynamics course is taught by the Mechanical Engineering Department, represents a maincourse for the Mechanical Engineering curriculum and is a service course for the CivilEngineering Department and the Electrical Engineering Department. This course is taken yearlyby more than 400

Conference Session

Improving Student Outcomes in Mechanics

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Hadas Ritz, Cornell University; Kathryn Dimiduk, Cornell University; Andrew van Paridon

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

of a sophomore-level Statics andMechanics of Materials course at Cornell University. The main goal of this approach is to movestudent and course staff effort away from rote completion and grading of homework problems andtowards building problem solving skills, as demonstrated with successful work on exams. Ourwork is inspired by the work of Averill, Roccabianca, and Rechtenwald at Michigan StateUniversity (MSU) [1, 2], but our implementation differs from theirs in several key aspects.During Fall 2019, we taught two lecture sections of the course. The control section was graded inthe traditional manner with a portion of the course grade due to graded homework and all examsgraded with generous partial credit, while the experimental section did

Conference Session

Learning Mechanics Through Experimentation

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Timothy Aaron Wood, The Citadel

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

, velocities, and accelerations. Studies and experience have indicated that physicalmodels in the classroom can be helpful for students; yet, connecting numbers to motion can bechallenging [1]. The benefits of physical experiments in the classroom that bring the dynamicsconcepts and equations to life are well documented [2]. The experiments that actually measureacceleration and other kinematic properties can be very effective. To this end, engineeringeducators have developed experiments that take advantage of the accelerometers in smart phones[3]–[6]. One educator has incorporated motion tracking software for analysis of videos [7]. Yetothers have built measurement solutions from component accelerometers, kit computers, andgyroscopes [8]–[11]. Easy to

Conference Session

Teaching Methods for Engineering Mechanics Courses

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rania Al-Hammoud P.Eng., University of Waterloo; Kamyar Ghavam, University of Waterloo

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

, the students reacted positively to theseengagement pieces, although some of them showed concerns about cutting into the class time.ReferencesDicheva, D., Dichev, C., Agre, G., & Angelova, G. (2015). Gamification in Education: A SystematicMapping Study. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 18(3), 75–88.http://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.18.3.75Felder, R., & Silverman, L. (1988). Learning and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education. EngineeringEducation, 78(7), 674–681. https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/31039406/LS-1988.pdfFelder, R., Woods, D., Stice, J., & Rugarcia, A. (2000). The Future of Engineering Education II. TeachingMethods That Work. Chemical Engineering Education, 34(1), 26-39.http

Conference Session

Dynamic Pedagogies for Engineering Dynamics

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William E. Howard, East Carolina University; Jeffry R. Foeller, East Carolina University; Karen A. De Urquidi, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

. [1]When entering the engineering mechanics courses, both statics and dynamics, students havedifficulty because it is the first time they are required to think like an engineer, with various waysto get to an optimal answer. While in statics there is one clear method of analysis, dynamicsintroduces several methods to choose from to reach a solution. As instructors, we shoulddevelop ways to help align the teaching and learning in order to aid students in developing boththe conceptual knowledge and the type of thought process required for engineering.According to research by Goldfinch [2], procedural knowledge is the main type of knowledgebeing tested by most dynamics instructors. Yet the most important goal is conceptualknowledge, not

Conference Session

Teaching Methods for Engineering Mechanics Courses

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ashraf Badir P.E., Florida Gulf Coast University; Jiehong Liao, Florida Gulf Coast University; Tanya Kunberger P.E., Florida Gulf Coast University; Galen I. Papkov, Florida Gulf Coast University; Long D. Nguyen, Florida Gulf Coast University; Robert O'Neill P.E., Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

survey data on students’ perceptions of learning and opinionson the methods used in the course delivery. Thus far, we have concluded that the use oftraditional hand-written homework, frequent assessment via quizzes [1], or the PearsonMastering Engineering [2] software for formative assessment did not have a significant impacton students’ performance on exams. It was also observed that neither traditional nor onlinehomework scores correlated well with exam scores; however, in-class quizzes did correlate withfinal exam scores. Most recently, using the Mastering Engineering Online system, specificallythe inclusion of the Adaptive Follow-Up modules [3], it was observed that this also lacked anyimpact on overall student performance. In fact, adaptive

Conference Session

Student Advancement in Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Johanna Paulette Doukakis, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

novice reasoning in mechanics of solids- A work in progressIntroduction Engineering degree programs such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering,materials engineering, and industrial engineering generally require an advanced course inengineering mechanics, typically in the second or third year. The course is most commonlyknown as “Strength of Materials”, “Mechanics of Materials”, or “Mechanics of Solids”. For theduration of this paper this course will referred to as Mechanics of Solids (MOS) [1]. Mechanics of Solids (MOS) has become the bridge and bond between elementary andspecialized knowledge for engineering students. Although categorized as a basic course,engineering mechanics, and MOS

Conference Session

Curriculum and Instruction in Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter H. Carnell P.E., University of Georgia; Nathaniel J. Hunsu, University of Georgia; Davis F. Ray, University of Georgia; Nicola W. Sochacka, University of Georgia

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

students face when they learn statics threshold concepts hasmotivated a significant body of research in this area. These studies focus on: the link betweenstatics and student persistence [1]; factors that influence student performance [2]; conceptualmisunderstandings [3]; concept inventories [4]; and interventions designed to improve studentlearning [5]. A common thread across these studies is the focus on analytical problem solving.As Litzinger et al. [6] stated in their cognitive study of problem solving in statics: “Even asexpectations for engineers continue to evolve to meet global challenges, analytical problemsolving remains a central skill.” Similarly, Higley et al. [5] shared the same perspective; theynoted that “although non-technical

Conference Session

Applications of Technology in Mechanics Education

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jakob C Bruhl P.E., U.S. Military Academy; Richard J. Gash P.E., U.S. Military Academy; Aaron Freidenberg, U.S. Military Academy; Christopher H Conley, U.S. Military Academy; Paul M. Moody P.E., U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

increasingunderstanding of mechanics concepts and developing engineering judgment by creatingexperiences for students. This paper describes another aspect of programmatic changes thatmakes increasing use of computer simulation tools to help students visualize and understandconcepts. As this is part of an ongoing effort, the paper focuses on the background andmotivation for better integration within several courses. It describes several examples of howsoftware has been integrated into statics and mechanics of materials courses and explains how afew guiding principles used in developing inquiry-based learning activities (IBLA) apply tointegrating software into class.BACKGROUNDAs Bruhl, Klosky, and Hanus (2017)1 describe, a methodical assessment resulted in the

Conference Session

Curriculum and Instruction in Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Javad Baqersad P.E., Kettering University; Yaomin Dong, Kettering University; Arnaldo Mazzei, Kettering University; Azadeh Sheidaei, Iowa State University; Basem Alzahabi, Alghurair University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

from other subjects such as physics, CAD, statics, electrical engineering, and fluidmechanics to solve real-world problems. This is an open-ended problem and challenges thestudents to search and use innovative ideas to optimize the designs. The final part of the projectasks students to calculate how the optimized design of the structure can economically impact theoverall cost of the wind turbine. The results of a survey taken from the students in this courseshow that students appreciate the concept materials better when they see the real-worldapplication of the subject. 1. IntroductionThe Mechanics of Materials is a required fundamental course in many programs such asMechanical, Industrial, Civil, Chemical, Physics, and Electrical

Conference Session

Applications of Technology in Mechanics Education

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Cornwell, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Simon Jones, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Daniel Takashi Kawano, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

then compare their findings to analyticalresults. The lab has a final project involving an experimental modal test and the creation of afinite element model of a structure of the students’ choosing. Students are required to proposeexplanations for the differences in the results from the test and the finite element model.Assessment results show that students have developed a much more sophisticated understandingof analysis and testing as a result of these experiences, and by the end of the course, they useappropriate technical terminology when discussing the differences between test and analyticalresults.BackgroundAccording to the National Research Council report How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience,and School [1], one aspect of effective

Conference Session

Student Advancement in Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xiaobin Le P.E., Wentworth Institute of Technology; Masoud Olia P.E., Wentworth Institute of Technology; Ali Moazed, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

spring and fall semesters 2017, the proposedprocedure was implemented successfully in different sections of Mechanics of Materials course.The proposed procedure for drawing the diagrams was assessed by a quiz given to differentsections of the course. The feedback information was collected through the class survey. Basedon the assessment and class survey, most students liked the proposed procedure and believed themethod was practical. The assessment based on the quiz also showed the grades with theproposed procedure were significantly improved. This paper presents the practical graphicalprocedure for drawing the diagrams as well as the results of the class survey and the assessment.1. IntroductionOne of the primary objectives of the mechanical

Conference Session

Applications of Technology in Mechanics Education

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benjamin Keith Morris, The University of Georgia; Siddharth Savadatti, University of Georgia

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

videos.IntroductionAn increasing number of engineering courses are being taught in a flipped (or inverted) format[1], [2], [3] and improving learning in flipped classes is a timely need. In its most general sense,a flipped class is a class where activities that normally occur in the classroom are swapped withthose that normally occur outside the classroom [4]. Traditionally, classroom activities in manyengineering classes involve lectures and instructor-led problem-solving sessions. Since theseactivities can be presented outside the classroom most effectively through online videos (ratherthan through readings), watching videos has become an integral part of learning in flippedengineering classes [5]. Given this, improving learning in flipped classes requires

Conference Session

Curriculum and Instruction in Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott R. Hamilton P.E., York College of Pennsylvania; Jakob C. Bruhl, U.S. Military Academy; Joshua Richard Wyrick, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

first two courses of their engineering mechanics sequence, covering the materialtypically found in both statics and mechanics (or strength) of materials courses as well as theintroduction of Inquiry Based Learning Activities [1, 2]. The papers detail the process engagedin during and the reasoning behind the redesign and development of activities for what was,through all previous assessments, a popular and well received course sequence. As a result oftheir internal assessment the faculty from the Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering atthe US Military Academy [USMA] at West Point determined that their first sequence ofengineering mechanics courses provided the technical content that was required, but the courseswere lacking in a few

Conference Session

Student Advancement in Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ron Averill, Michigan State University; Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University; Sara Roccabianca, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

often below theirexpectations.For many students, instead of using effective study strategies to fully understand key concepts andto master problem solving techniques, the goal of their current study and test taking strategy is to“maximize partial credit.” The most common version of this strategy looks essentially like this. 1. Memorize problems from the homework, in-class examples, or previous exams. 2. Match each problem on the exam to one of the memorized problems that most closely resembles it. 3. Write down the memorized solution, making adjustments along the way so that the solution looks more relevant to the exam problem.This strategy is often very effective at getting a passing grade or better, in large part because

Conference Session

Teaching Methods for Engineering Mechanics Courses

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kate N. Leipold, Rochester Institute of Technology; Sarilyn R. Ivancic, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

after you’ve established “ABCD”. The second pedagogical method developed andimplemented was a game based off of “Paper Telephone” which is used during review days. Thegame emphasizes the connection between the free body diagram and the equations ofequilibrium and reinforces the idea that the “ABCD” components drive “E” or rather the FBDdrives the equations of equilibrium. The combination of these two devices helps show theimportance of the FBD in solving engineering problems.Method 1 “ABCs of FBDs”Statics text books are generally consistent in their descriptions of what should be included in freebody diagrams. (Excerpts included in the Appendix.) They routinely describe what should andshould not be included but do not do a satisfactory job of

Conference Session

Learning Environments for Statics, Dynamics, and Mechanics of Materials

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Brian Dittenber, LeTourneau University; Allyson Jo Barlow, Oregon State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

course participants and the replacement ofwritten instructions with video demonstrations showing how to make the best use of the items inthe physical kit.IntroductionOnline learning is a critical component of higher education in the United States. Allen et. al,operating on behalf of the Sloan Consortium and the Babson Survey Research Group, have beenmonitoring statistics of online education enrollment in the US and producing yearly reports ontheir findings for over a decade [1]. Per their most recent report, as of fall 2014, about 14% of allstudents in higher education in the US, or a total of over 2.8 million students, were takingexclusively distance education courses. A slightly higher number were taking some, but not all,of their higher